Well, I guess we understand better now.
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So, a couple of funny/sad stories from my teaching career for @twojarslave @zecarlo @Friedrich
In Brooklyn, the 75th Precinct, the most violent precinct in all five boroughs (they made a TV show about it) is where I got my start, and we were definitely trained to not get involved in fights, as @twojarslave mentioned with respect to the bus incident.
A couple of Black kids (sorry for the capital B @marine77 ) were sitting at a desk, seventh grade. One had fallen asleep, so the other woke him up, and like a typical trauma response, the kid woke up swinging, and it was on.
I am trained to not get involved, but of course, I wade in and separate them (btw, you are trained to not get involved to not put the district at risk - you are supposed to let them wail until trained personnel show up).
Full on fist fight in my class, seventh grade. Cops come and get them (yes, NYC School Police) and take them to the Dean. The Dean is a guy named Howard or some hokie name, a retired cop - did twenty years and fucked off.
Five minutes later, both kids come back, âWe are sorry!â
That was their punishment, apologize to me.
Fast forward five months, I am in the faculty bathroom and this kid comes in. I tell him itâs a faculty Menâs room and he tells me to fuck off.
I go to see the Dean, same retired cop.
ME: Hey, Trayvon came in the Menâs Faculty.
DEAN: - yeah?
ME: Can you do something about it?
DEAN: You were in there with him alone?
ME: Yeah.
DEAN: Why didnât you beat the fuck out of him and claim he assaulted you? What are you, fucking stupid?
First week at a high performing school, my Department Chair calls me in to his office Ninth period, a prep.
DC: So a kid called his mom during your class, said he was bored.
ME: yeah, I saw him on his phone. Maybe if he wasnât on his phone he would have been engaged, and, you know, we have a no phone policy, right.
DC: Yeah, if he is bored, you have to teach better.
First period starts at 7:25 and Chelsea saunters in every day at 7:40 with a coffee from Dunkin Donuts.
Chelsea, you got time to get a coffee, you got time to show up on time.
Chelsea to my Department Chair - âHe singled me out and embarrassed me.â
Alyx is transitioning, she/he is 5â9" and two hundred pounds, on hormones, cannot sit in her seat, bounces out of control, has an IEP that allows her to wander the halls when motivated.
I keep anecdotals in a marble composition notebook. She is doing fine, but is triggered by me keeping anecdotals. Rips the pages from my notes, calls her parents, we have a meeting with my openly gay Principal. I have to explain my note taking because the parents have threatened to call the local paper claiming it is a gay thing.
I could go on and on.
My district seems to have become a place for entry-level teachers to get a year or two under their belt before getting the hell out. Thatâs the pattern I can observe, but our politicians and administration go to great lengths to obscure as much of public education as possible from the public view.
Most of Maine was probably a fantastic place to be a teacher in the 20th century. We had affordable living, peaceful people and stability that seemed like it could go on forever, at least as long as winter continued to be a feature of living here.
It might be one the worst places to be a public school teacher in 2024. Our rankings have certainly tanked compared to other states.
Lewiston has very serious issues with teacher recruitment, retention and safety. I know several people who will tell you that it is a hostile workplace environment, plain and simple.
We also have many people without any degree at all teaching at our high school today. I forget what they call the program, but it is essentially an education apprenticeship with requirements for working towards a degree.
You are also required to practice the religion of progressivism to perform the job, so a lot of qualified candidates have self-selected themselves out of public education. Teachers in Maine must act as if it is true that boys can become girls and vice versa. They are also required to apply different standards to different students depending on their skin color.
I would love to be a fly on the wall in a teachersâ lounge today, the day after our mock election had Maine students vote Trump by 12 points.
Ogun ! Wakanda forever
I should have started keeping a book of teaching stories. Then publish it post retirement. I started at a school for emotionally disturbed teens. I was certified in Professional Assault Response Training. It came in handy. In fact there were a few staff that needed to be restrained. One afternoon a big kid out of San Francisco went off. We get him down. Of course one of the ass adults decides to drip sweat into the kidâs carpet burns. There were five adults and this kid (built like young George Foreman) breaks loose. He turns around, enraged, and I am the first in line. He starts heading for me, stops, says, âOh hey Friedrich, I like youâŠâ He steps around me and punches the guy behind me in the face. Sweat sprays everywhere.
I ended up later in a rural district north of Sacramento. We are reading Kon Tiki. One kid cannot read for scheit, so he tries to sound out Knut. Imagine that in a word scramble.
A Jehovahâs Witness student turned me into the superintendent (well her whole family did) because I showed a documentary. The narrator used the word demon. Apparently I was promoting Satanism.
One day a fight breaks out on the basketball court. My co-worker used to brag about his extensive training in karate. As I am heading out to the court, my co-worker runs past me, away from the fight yelling âFight! I am calling the sheriff.â I get there and my student who cannot pronounce Knut is slugging it out with the biggest son of a gun I had seen in awhile. I knew the nose guard for the University of New Mexico at one time. At first that is who I thought it was. I am thinking, âWhat is Dave doing here?â It wasnât Dave, it was a neo-Nazi who, for whatever reason, decided walking onto an 8th grade basketball court and fighting a 14 year old, would not get him tossed in the clink. That big bastard turns around and starts heading for me. From behind me I hear, âMr. Friedrich is going to get his ass kicked.â I stood my ground. The big bastard backed off. Then took off. Lucky me. My karate co-worker never did come back.
I coached for awhile. I had two horrible seasons at a small high school in a small town in Idaho. I found out, after I left that inbred palace, that one of the staff was telling my team to throw games so his wife could be the coach. I moved onto a different district, I had better things to do. His wife lasted the same amount of time I did.
We just had a staff meeting concerning school fights. To my surprise we can do âwhatever it takesâ to break a fight up. Punching was even pronounced as a solution. That makes total sense, in a world of live streaming, there I am punching a high school student.
Back to Sacramento, about 1993 after the district (Sacramento) spent thousands of dollars on a district Christmas party, they had to follow up after New Yearâs with an edict, stating that it is inappropriate to take students, as your plus one, to district sponsored events.
My two Masters in Instructional Leadership and Special Ed were a waste. Just papers that moved me up the pay scale. I do regret at times either not attending law school, or getting my Masters and PhD in history. I used to research, and write, quite well. Now I need spell check.
But continued post graduate work in content area should be required. A few years back, after I escaped Special Ed, I am sitting at my desk while my kids are working on Stalin (who they had never heard ofâŠ). From the room across the hall I hear two student math teachers trying to figure a problem out with the class. I am half paying attention, then they really caught me as they struggled with the problem. These are two future math teachers. College students. I, the history guy, walk across the hallway, stand in the door frame, and tell them, âYou should use the Pythagorean Theorem.â âOh, oh thanks!â The future of education.
I should write that book anyway.
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@rugby_lifting and anyone else interested.
No, you canât just buy stocks, you need a brokerage account. It is easy to get. I got mine through Fidelity but you can get one through Schwab or several others, I chose Fidelity because my family had chosen it and they seemed to be great.
Once you have a brokerage account, you can buy stocks - if youâre stupid.
But, you can also buy index funds - funds that mirror the S and P or mirror the Dow. These are typically low management fee funds that are good to sit on.
I am in the Fidelity group, and I like them. I have the same manager my brother had, that my parents have, and they treat me well.
But, you can buy funds or stocks through any brokerage account. Opening a brokerage account is about $500.
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12/1/2024
972 â 200 â 17.8
BP 110 â 125 â 140x10, 155x4, 185x2, 205x1, 110x10x5
IP Mach 35, 45, 50, 30x10x5
MP Mach 35x10x5
OH Tri X 30x10, 40x10, 50x10, 30x10x2
TPDâs 30x10, 40x10x2, 30x10x2
Crunch Mach 30x15, 40x15, 50x10. 30X15
PD 40x10x2
12-2-2024
Leg Press 70/75/80
Ext 50/55/60
Curls 50/55/60
Rows 30/40/50
Shrugs 95/105/115/95/95
FPs 40/45/50/50
Curls 30/40/40
EZ Curls 40/30
Twelve days back in the gym since arriving 972 â up seven pounds.
12/3/2024
Slept in, walked 1.5 miles.
12/4/24
OHP 65/75/85/95x10, 125x4, 140x2, 75x5x5
IPM 60x10x5
Laterals 10x10/15x10, 10x10
Abtwists 40x15x3, CrunchMach 30x15, 40x15x2
TriEx 40x10, 50x10x2
TPDâs 20x15x3
12/5/24
LP 70x10, 75, 85, EXT 50. 55, 60, Curls 50, 55, 60
PDâs 40, 50, 55, 60
FPâs 30, 40, 50, 40, 40
Shrugs 30, 35, 40, 35, 35
Curls cable 10, 10, 10
Curl machine 30, 40, 30
198
12/6/24
BP 45x10, 95x10, 120x5, 135x5, 150x10, 185x4, 205x2, 120x5x5
Cable ext 10x12.5, 10x10.5, 10x7.5
Crunch 35x15, 40x15, 40x15, 40x15
Twists 40x10x3
OH tri Ext forgot x10x4
Tri PD 30x10x2
12/7/24
LP 55, 80/85/90
Ext and Curls 55/60/65
Rows 40/50/60
Shrugs 30/35/40/30/30
FPâs 30/40/50/40
Cable curls 7.5/9/10.5
Preach machine curls 30/30
Other Mach 45
198.5 18
12/8/24
Seated OHP Smith 45x10, 65x5, 85x5, 95x5, 105x10, 125x4, 135x2
Inc BP Smith 85x10x5
Cable laterals 7.5x10x2
PD Rear laterals 40x10x2
Crunch 35/40/45/45 x15
Torso Rot 40/50x15
OH Tri tri cable ext 12.5/17.5/22.5/22.5 x10
TPDâs 40/40x15
199 17.4
12/9/24 flew to NY
12/10/24
Willamantic
LP 75/85/95
Lext 55/60/65
LC 55/60/65
Abd 50x10x
Crunch 50x15x2
HLR 10x2
12/11/24
Willamantic
BP 45x10, 95x5, 120x5, 135x5, 150x10, 185x2
Inc 65x10x5
PD 60x10x2
TriExt 30/40/50/60
TPD 40x10
Guest at Willamantic â skanky a bit, old equipment, different from Home Gym.
12/13/25 - Hicksville
Rows 55/70/85/85
PDâs 70/85/85
shrugs 35/40/45/45
FPâs 35/40/45
Cable curls 12.5/12.5/12.5
Preacher curl machine 30/30/30
Crunch machine 35/45/50/50
Rotary torso 45/45
12/14/24 - Hville
Seated OHP 45/65/85/95/105
Inc DB Press 30/25/25/25/25
Cable flys 7.5/7.5/7.5/7.5
OH Tricep Extensions 27.5/32.5/37.5/37.5
TPDâs 32.5/32.5/32.5
Rear delt PD 40/40
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12/15/2024
LP 85/90/95, Ext 55/60/65, LC 55/60/65
Abd 85/90/95
SMBBShrugs 115/125/135
FPâs 32.5/37.5/42.5
HLR 15/15/15
PreMachCurls 25/30/35/40
2 Likes
12/16/24
Cathedral City - PSP Layover
BP 45x10, 95x5, 125/145, 160x10, 185x2, 205x1
IncDBPress 30x10x5
BPMach 55x10x3
Low to hi cable flys 10x3
DipMachine 70/85/100
2 mile ruck with BP
12/17/24
PDX
Assisted PUâs 10x3, rows 50x15, Smith BB Shrugs 95/105/115, FPâs 50x15
Crunch 50x15, reverse crunches 15, rotary 85x15
*Gassed from travel. Donât let things, people, ideas, own you. Go minimal.
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12/18/2019
HammerCurls 17.5/20/22.5, Cable curls 10/10/10, preacher mach 20/30/40
SkullCrushers 15, OHTriExt 25/25/30, TPDâs 25/25/20,
EZbar reverse curls 20/30, wrist curls 15/20
Note to future self - first dedicated arm day. Doing Shoulders/legs/chest/back with rest days as needed. Goal is, in addition to health and strength, improved physique - specifically taper, so focusing on shoulders, chest, traps, and arms. Decided to add an arm day because they are lagging.
BC yesterday was 199@17.8
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This is the craziest thing Iâve read in a long time lmao , thank you for this
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12/19/2024 - Legs
LP 95/100/105x15, LE 60/65/70x13, LC 60/65/70x13, Abd 100/105/110
Crunches 40/50/60/60
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12/20/24 - Shoulders
OHP 45x10, 75/90/100x12, 125x2, 135x2, IncMach 60x10x5, Cable lats 7.5/9/10.5, OHTriExt 22.5/32.5 RearDelts on PD 35/35, Rotary 85/90
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12/21/2024 - Back
CUps 115/115/130, rows 55x10, shrugs 95/115/115, FPâs 50x10, PreCurlMach 30/40
*Weak - fasted, donated blood yesterday
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12/22/24 - off
12/23/24 - Chest
45x10, 95x5, 130x5, 145x5, 160x10, 185x2, 210x1, InBPMach 70x10x5, crunches 40//60/40, TOHE 35/42.5/50, TPD 30x15x2
Rest day was effective - take them more often.
12/24/24 - Legs
SQ 45x10, 95x5, 135x5, LExt 70/75/80, Curls 70/75/80, Press 100/105/110, Abd 105/110/115, Seated shrugs 25/30/35
Press machines were taken on arrival, Universe had been telling me to start squatting again, so I did. Hammies protested.
Weighed 202 - I am, according to Rippetoe, a fully grown adult male. BF 18.
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12/25/24 - Off.
12/26/24 - Shoulders
OHP 45/75/90/100/110x10, 140x2, IncDB 30/25/25, Crunches 40/50/60/70x5/80x8, Cable laterals 10/6.5, FPâs 15/20, TPDâs 25/30, OHTriExt 40/50/60
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12/27/24 - Back
Assisted Chins 115x10, 100x10, 100x8, Rows 120x10, Rotary 115x10x2, Seated DB Shrugs 35/40/45, Hammer Curls 22.5/22.5 Cable Curls 35x8, Preacher Curls 30x10, Wrist curls 22.5/22.5/22.5
12/28/2024 Chest and Tris
BP 45/75/95/115/135/150x14/185x4/215x1 IncMach 80x10x5, OHTEDB 15/17.5/20 cable 27.5/37.5/47.5. TPD 27.5/37.5
202@17.8
12/29/24 - Legs
SQ 45/95/135/145, LP 105/110/115. LE 75/80/85, LC 75/80/85, Abd 110/115/120
204@18